The World Cup is not supposed to be enjoyed during the day

June 17, 2026 — 5:30am

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In a previous life as a freelance writer, I was so desperate for work that I would basically take any job on offer, which is how I ended up writing advertising slogans for a large hospitality group. Whenever they wanted to promote an upcoming sporting event with whatever food and drink deals they had on offer, I was the man they’d call. Mostly it was stuff like, “Mate of Origin: Two-for-one schooners before kick-off!” or “Fries and tries: $5 chips when your team scores!”

Historically, these kinds of promo-puns have been exclusively reserved for Australia’s major sporting codes – AFL and rugby league – and never the beautiful game. Until now.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is under way, jointly hosted by three North American countries (the USA, Mexico and Canada), which means time zone-friendly air times for Australians. According to my data analysis, about 69 per cent of all live matches will air between 6am and 4.30pm AEST, with most of the group stage matches occurring during the day.

My local pub is already capitalising on this, running a “Hugs and Jugs” promotion for the World Cup. It’s hard to tell exactly what’s on offer based on the........

© Brisbane Times